ABSTRACT
Chapter 7 looks into Epictetus’ account of providence, in particular his enquiry into the reasons why some human beings either fail to acknowledge the existence of divine providence or, when they do, still remain ungrateful. This has led Epictetus to a fascinating study of the root cause of evil, that is, what the Stoics refer to as the perversion (diastrophê) of human nature. Lack of self-respect is ultimately what leads human beings to blame god for what they see as unjust misfortunes. Hence, Epictetus’ emphasis on the need for humans to understand their divine kinship. Only then will they be able to benefit from the gift of reason, which will help them overcome any external misfortunes. The last part of the chapter shows how philostorgia (parental love for children) is understood by Epictetus as being a means for god to foster the generation of human societies and thus fulfil the demands of human nature.
